The trial of Catalan president Quim Torra for disobedience has raced ahead today to be able to conclude this afternoon with the final conclusions from the parties involved and Torra's final statement. The majority of the witnesses listed weren't called in the end in the first trial of a Catalan president whilst in office. Prosecutors are calling for him to be banned from public office.
The hearing proper, after the preliminary questions which ran between 9am and 10:20, started with Torra's statement. The president explained, as he had announced he would, that he disobeyed an order to remove a banner from the balcony of the Catalan government palace to defend the rights and liberties of his fellow citizens. Sitting behind him, his wife Carola Miró and their son Guillem.
No member of the government was in the room, because the court hadn't reserved any space for the cabinet or the Parliament, beyond the four seats reserved for those accompanying Torra himself. One of those was taken by the deputy speaker of the Catalan Parliament, Josep Costa. The court argued that anyone could enter the public gallery; indeed, the room was half-empty during the morning.
When it was his turn to speak, defence lawyer Gonzalo Boye called for the presiding judge, Jesús María Barrientos, who had called Torra "señor", to afford him the address worthy of the office. Barrientos didn't react.
Next came the witnesses, starting with members of Spain's National Police Corps. Four testified, all via videolink and without showing their faces. The defence said that the agents hadn't provided the originals of the photographs included as evidence in the case, thus breaking the chain of custody. They also pointed out that some had testified under oath that they had taken photos of the "ministry of governance and institutional relations", when no such department exists.
The prosecutions ended up not calling on the other witnesses they had listed. These included the Spanish government's delegate to Catalonia, Teresa Cunillera; Cs' spokesperson Carlos Carrizosa, former minister Elsa Artadi and Catalan ombudsman Rafael Ribó. Catalan interior minister Miquel Buch had submitted a note excusing him for medical reasons.
A recess was called at 1pm, after which the chief commissioner of Catalonia's Mossos police, Miquel Esquius, became unexpectedly the last witness. He testified that the Mossos's orders to remove symbols and banners expressing support for the Catalan prisoners were obeyed in a timely manner.
The evidence phase consisted of showing a video of a press conference in which Elsa Artadi explained that the decision to not remove the symbols was taken by the president and not the government as a whole, despite them expressing support. The other documents submitted were not then shown in open court, taking their contents as being already known.
At half past one, the parties made their initial conclusions final. The hearing restarted at 4pm for the final arguments and the president's final statement; shortly after 6, court was suspended until sentencing.